Coin-controlled vending-machine.



PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

3- L. LONG. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLHJATION FILED my 1. 190a.

z SHEETS-SHEETL QAifQPDZyS v N0 MODEL- Wihjcsszs W UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P en No. 761,002, dated May 24, 1904. Application filed May 7, 1903. Serial No. 156,055. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY L. LONG, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Coin-Controlled Vending-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in coin-controlled vending-machines, and has for its principal object to provide an improved form of mechanism for the sale of merchandise and simultaneous delivery oftickets, checks, or other tokens, the machine being especially adapted for the sale of pencils, cigarettes, cigars, or other like articles of approximately cylindrical form, although it may be employed for the delivery of articles of other shape or goods in bulk without departing from the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide amechanism in which the operating-lever will be locked to the delivery mechanism only when a coin of proper size is inserted, coins of smaller size passing directly through the coin-chute to the coin-receptacle, while washers or blanks of iron or steel, such as are sometimes used for operating the machine, will be drawn out at one side of the coinchute, clinging to a suitable permanent magnet disposed near the top of the chute.

A still further object of the invention isto provide a retarding mechanism, preferably in the form of a spring, in the path of movement of the operating-lever, so that when the latter nears the limit of its movement additional resistance will be offered and the extra effort necessary on the part of the operator to depress the lever will result in a quick'movement of the delivery mechanism and insure the delivery of the article.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and

minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention;

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is atransverse sectional elevation of a portion of a coin-controlled vending-machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the section being taken on the plane indicated by the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a similar view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device on. the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is adetail section illustrating the construction of the coin-controlled mechanism for locking the operating-lever to 'the delivery mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, illustrating the arrangement of the check-delivery mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the retarding-spring arranged in the path of movement of the operating lever for effecting an abrupt movement of said spring near the end of the stroke.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable casing the casing and may be secured in closed position by a suitable lock 8. To the lower side of the top'plate 9 are secured two strips or.

' blocks 10, from which project pinsll, adapted to enter suitable recesses in the opposite end portions of the casing, one of said recesses constituting the door 7, as before described, so that when the door is opened the pins will be released and the top may be readily removed in order to permit access to the magazine should it become necessary to replenish the same. The parts may thus be held in closed position by means of a single lock.

Near the lower portion of the hopper is a pair of tapering bottom plates 13, spaced a short distance from each other, and under these I O0 is a cylinder 14, having a longitudinal groove for the reception of the pencils or other merchandise in the magazine. The groove is so arranged that it normally lies in the open space between the bottom plates in order to receive one or more articles to be sold and return after the deposit of the coin in order.

that the groove shall pass below one of the guard-plates and deliver the merchandise on a suitable receiving-tray 16 at the base of the apparatus. The cylinder is provided with end pintles or spindles adapted to suitable bearings formed one in one of the end plates of the casing and the other in the vertical partition 4, the spindle at one end passing through the partition 1 and being permanently secured to a disk or wheel 17, mounted or arranged in the compartment 3.

On the projecting end of the roller-spindle is loosely mounted a manually-operated lever 20, having its outer end extending through a suitable slot 21 in front of the casing and provided with a knob or handle for the conven ience of the operator. This lever is normally held in elevated position by a coiled tension-spring 22 and engages the stop-pin of the disk in order to return said disk to initial position. The lower or inner end of the lever projects toward the periphery of the disk and is bifurcated or notched, as indicated at 24, to receive the inwardly-bent end of a spring 25, which is secured at one end to the lever and is provided with a suitable groove or opening for the passage of the roller-spindle.

On the periphery of the disk is a pin 27, which may be engaged by the inwardly-bent end of the spring 25 when the latter is forced in- .wardly toward the surface of the disk; but under ordinary circumstances this spring is held out of contactwith the pin, so that the lever may be freely depressed without causing any movement of the disk or delivery of the articles from the magazine. On the deposit of a coin of proper value in the manner hereinafter described the spring 25 is forced inward until it engages the pin 27, and when the lever is depressed the disk and the roller will be turned until the goods receiving groove of the roller passes below the discharge-opening of the magazine and permits the article to fall to the tray 16.

Within the compartment 3 is a coin-chute 30, formed, preferably, of metal, the upper end of the ,chute being in alinement with a coin-receiving slot 31 in the front of the easing and the lower end thereof being immediately above a coin-receptacle 32. One side of the chute, or that side farthest from the disk, is closed throughout the entire length of the chute, while the inner side is open, so that a falling coin will be directed against the face of the spring 25, and being wedged between the spring and the closed edge of the chute will force the spring inwardly until it engages the pin 27, it being understood that out depressing the spring.

the outer edge of the chute is adjusteda suficient distance from the spring to permit the operation of the device only when a coin of proper size is inserted. Should coins of smaller size be inserted, they will pass directly through the chute to the coin-receptacle with- Secured to or formed integral with one side of the chute is a finger 33, which lies near the surface of the disk and acts as a cam for engaging the spring 25 after the latter has been forced inward by a coin and engage the pin 27, so that while the operating-coin may drop to the moneyreceptacle the spring will still be held in engagement with the pin until the disk and groove delivery-roller have been turned a sufiicient distance to effect the delivery of the article. It is of course understood that the finger 33 would also operate to engage the spring on the depression of the lever even though a coin were not inserted; but the point of initial contact of the finger with such spring is at a sufficient distance beyond the pins as to prevent operative depression of the spring unless the spring has first been depressed into engagement with the pin by the insertion of a coin. I

In the operation of mechanism of this character there is always danger of the goods remaining in the delivery-slot of the roller,

where the movement is comparatively slow and irregular, and to prevent thisand render the delivery certain a slip-spring 35 is placed across the slot 21 in the path of movement of the lever 20, so as to offer resistance to the downward movement of the lever, making it necessary for the operator to exert somewhat greater pressure immediately before the grooved roller reaches the delivery point. This extra pressure forces the spring to one side, and as the pressure will naturally continue momentarily even after the lever is released the result will be an abrupt movement of the roller, and the goods will be positively ejected through the groove.

In machines of this class attempts are often made to cheat the machines by the insertion of washers or blanks of iron or steel. In order to prevent this, a permanent magnet 36 is placed at a point adjacent to the open side of the coin-chute, the magnet attracting and deflecting the washers or blanks through the open side of the chute and preventing their passage to the locking-spring 25.

In connection with the present machine it is proposed to effect the delivery of a check or similar token to the purchaser with each delivery of goods, and for this purpose a suitable check-reservoir 40 is secured within the compartment 3, the lower end of the reservoir terminating at a point slightly above a. shelf or bracket 11, the forward edge of which communicates with a delivery-slot 42, extending through the front wall of the casing. A shelf or bracket is formed of thin metal or has comparatively thin edge portions for the reception of the inturned portions of the delivery-slide 44, which rests on the shelf or bracket and at each movement delivers the lowermost check or token from the reservoir through the slot. From the opposite sides of the delivery-slide extend pins 46, which are engaged by arms 47, projecting from a crank-arm 48, which is carried by an extended portion of the roller-supporting spindle and moves simultaneously with the roller and the disk. The construction is such that at each operation of the delivery-roller a predetermined quantity of goods or articles is fed from the magazine while a check is forced through the delivery-slot. 7

At the upper portion of the compartment 3 is a suitable shelf or bracket 50, on which may be placed a box 51 to receive the checks or tokens after the same have been examined by the purchaser, the checks or tokens being inserted through a suitable entrance-slot 54 in the front of the casing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a. coin-controlled machine, a coinchute open at one edge to permit the projection of aportion of acoin, an operating member, a

' spring carried thereby and adapted to be engaged by the coin, a delivery member having means with which said spring is forced into engagement by the weight of the coin, and means for holding the spring in engaging position after the initial operation of the spring by the coin.

2. In coin-controlled machines, a coin-slot open at one edge to permit the projection of a portion of a coin, a delivery means, a pin or'lug carried thereby, an operating-lever, a spring carried by the operating-lever and disposed adjacent tothe open side of the coinchute, said spring being forced into engagement with the pin or lug by the Weight of the coin falling through the chute, and means for holding the spring in engaging position after the initial operation of the spring by the com.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a revoluble delivery means,

of an operating-lever having its axis of rota-- tion concentric with that of the delivery means, a coin-actuated spring carried by the lever, a pin or lug carried by the delivery means and with which the spring engages, and an auxiliary cam serving to keep the spring and lug in engagement after the initial operation of the spring by the coin.

4. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a revoluble delivery means, of an operating-lever having its axis of movement concentric with that of the delivery means, a spring carried by the lever, a lug carried by the delivery means and with which said spring engages, a coin-chute having an open edge to permit operation of the spring by the weight of a falling coin, and a stationary cam serving to hold the spring and lug in engagement after the passage of the coin.

5. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a revoluble delivery means, of an operating-lever having an axis of move ment concentric with that of the delivery means, said lever being bifurcated at its lower end, a spring carried by the lever and having its free end bent inwardly and guided in the bifurcated portion of the lever, a lug carried by the delivery means and adapted to be engaged by the spring, a coin-chute open at one edge to permit contact between a falling coin and the spring to thereby move the latter into initial engagement with the lug, and a stationary cam for maintaining the spring and lug in engagement after the passage of the coin.

6. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a revoluble delivery means, a shaft or spindle carrying the same, a disk secured to the spindle, a lug projecting from the periphery of the disk, an operating-lever fulcrumed on the spindle and having a bifurcated lower end, a springsecured at one end to the lever and having its free end bent inwardly and guided by the bifurcated portion of said lever, said spring being adapted to engage the lug of the disk, a coin-chute open at one edge to permit contact between a falling coin and the spring, a stationary cam carried by the coin-chute for holding the spring and lug in engagement after the passage of the coin, and a spring for returning the operating-lever and the delivery means to initial position.

7 In-a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a revoluble delivery means, of a coin-chute open at one edge to permit the projection of a portion of the coin, an operatinglever, a spring carried by the operating-lever and disposed adjacent to the open side of the coin-chute, a pin or lug carried by the delivery means and with which said spring is forced into engagement by the weight of the coin, and a spring disposed in the path of movement of the lever to thereby check such movement prior to the completion of the delivery operation. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY L. LONG.

Witnesses:

HENRY KUEHN, Gno. E. STEGNER. 

